Adversarial justice: 'a triangulation of interests'? Reconceptualising the role of sexual assault victims

This thesis examines three victim-focused reforms across three adversarial jurisdictions - England and Wales, Ireland and South Australia - and explores the extent to which the reforms address (or neglect) sexual assault victims' needs and expectations of procedural justice. The thesis ultimately argues that (i) there are gaps between the theoretical aims and practical outcomes of victim-focused reforms; (ii) victim reforms can be seen as a 'sticking plaster' for broader issues inherent to adversarial systems; (iii) there is a need for incremental change in adversarial criminal justice systems; and (iv) adversarial criminal justice systems need to be reconceived within a triangulation of interests framework.